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Average Chemical Engineer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A chemical engineer in United Kingdom earns about 68,900 GBP a year. That's 1% roughly in line with the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 30,600 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 109,700 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a chemical engineer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
68,900 GBP
5,741 GBP per month
Lowest reported
30,600 GBP
2,550 GBP per month
Highest reported
109,700 GBP
9,141 GBP per month

A typical chemical engineer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,741 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 30,600 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 109,700 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior chemical engineer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the chemical engineer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How chemical engineer pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all chemical engineers in United Kingdom earn less than 73,500 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 45,600 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 100,200 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of chemical engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 30,600 GBP. The highest stretch to 109,700 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

30,600
Low
73,500
Median
109,700
High
45,600
25th
100,200
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Chemical engineer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a chemical engineer in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical chemical engineer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    36,000 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +30% from previous
    46,700 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +49% from previous
    69,600 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +23% from previous
    85,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +8% from previous
    92,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +9% from previous
    100,700 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 49%. That is the point at which a chemical engineer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Chemical engineer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving chemical engineer pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average chemical engineer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    38,900 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +68% from previous
    65,500 GBP
  • PhD
    +64% from previous
    107,700 GBP

Chemical engineer gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male chemical engineers in United Kingdom earn an average of 68,300 GBP a year, while female chemical engineers earn around 66,400 GBP. That works out to a 3% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Chemical Engineer gender pay gap

3%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 68,300 GBP
Women 66,400 GBP

Pay raises for a chemical engineer in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 12% every 15 months, which works out to roughly 10% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Chemical engineer bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

61%

61% of chemical engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a chemical engineer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 39% of chemical engineers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Chemical engineer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Chemical engineer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Chemical engineer pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Birmingham
  • Leeds
  • Manchester
  • Sheffield
  • Glasgow
  • Leicester
  • Cardiff
  • Bristol
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion142,100 GBP153,800 GBP64,900-223,700 GBP
ScotlandRegion103,600 GBP108,200 GBP48,600-160,600 GBP
BirminghamCity87,200 GBP93,200 GBP38,000-137,100 GBP
LeedsCity85,400 GBP92,900 GBP39,600-134,700 GBP
ManchesterCity83,800 GBP89,200 GBP36,500-130,400 GBP
SheffieldCity81,000 GBP86,100 GBP36,800-127,600 GBP
GlasgowCity80,800 GBP87,500 GBP36,800-128,200 GBP
LeicesterCity80,800 GBP86,100 GBP35,400-127,600 GBP
CardiffCity80,400 GBP85,700 GBP36,800-127,600 GBP
BristolCity80,200 GBP85,400 GBP35,600-123,800 GBP
BelfastCity80,200 GBP85,400 GBP35,600-123,800 GBP
BradfordCity78,400 GBP84,600 GBP34,800-127,700 GBP
EdinburghCity78,400 GBP84,600 GBP34,800-127,700 GBP
LiverpoolCity78,400 GBP86,800 GBP34,800-127,700 GBP
BrightonCity77,000 GBP79,600 GBP33,000-119,700 GBP
LondonCity77,000 GBP84,800 GBP36,400-123,800 GBP
PeterboroughCity77,000 GBP82,300 GBP33,000-119,700 GBP
NottinghamCity77,000 GBP82,300 GBP33,000-119,700 GBP
CoventryCity76,900 GBP83,200 GBP36,600-124,500 GBP
NewcastleCity76,800 GBP83,300 GBP36,500-125,400 GBP
SomersetCity76,600 GBP80,500 GBP34,400-121,800 GBP
AberdeenCity76,000 GBP84,200 GBP33,300-123,000 GBP
PlymouthCity74,700 GBP81,400 GBP34,400-121,800 GBP
SouthamptonCity74,500 GBP78,400 GBP33,500-115,600 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity74,100 GBP80,800 GBP34,000-117,100 GBP
DerbyCity73,300 GBP78,500 GBP34,000-115,600 GBP
NewportCity73,100 GBP78,200 GBP32,900-114,900 GBP
SwanseaCity72,800 GBP76,900 GBP32,200-114,900 GBP
PortsmouthCity72,800 GBP76,900 GBP32,200-114,900 GBP
LincolnCity72,400 GBP76,000 GBP32,900-114,600 GBP
WolverhamptonCity71,900 GBP80,800 GBP33,000-115,600 GBP
PooleCity71,700 GBP74,200 GBP32,600-112,700 GBP
DundeeCity71,200 GBP77,100 GBP31,700-114,300 GBP
YorkCity71,100 GBP75,400 GBP30,300-111,700 GBP
DerryCity70,800 GBP76,000 GBP32,200-108,200 GBP
ExeterCity70,600 GBP78,100 GBP33,300-114,900 GBP
OxfordCity69,800 GBP74,100 GBP30,200-108,200 GBP
StirlingCity69,400 GBP75,000 GBP30,200-109,700 GBP
GloucesterCity68,200 GBP77,000 GBP31,700-111,700 GBP
NorwichCity68,200 GBP77,000 GBP31,700-111,700 GBP
ArmaghCity68,100 GBP72,400 GBP31,800-109,700 GBP
CanterburyCity67,900 GBP72,400 GBP30,300-107,700 GBP
WinchesterCity67,600 GBP71,800 GBP30,800-105,800 GBP
HartlepoolCity67,200 GBP70,500 GBP30,000-107,300 GBP
KirkwallCity66,900 GBP70,000 GBP30,800-102,700 GBP
NewryCity66,900 GBP69,800 GBP30,100-105,800 GBP
CambridgeCity66,700 GBP70,700 GBP29,600-105,800 GBP
SalisburyCity66,400 GBP74,100 GBP32,900-109,000 GBP
ChesterCity66,100 GBP71,700 GBP30,200-109,000 GBP
LisburnCity65,900 GBP72,400 GBP28,900-105,200 GBP
DurhamCity64,300 GBP67,800 GBP27,400-99,700 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion63,700 GBP68,200 GBP29,200-102,700 GBP
WalesRegion63,500 GBP71,700 GBP30,800-102,700 GBP
AbingdonCity63,500 GBP67,800 GBP27,400-99,700 GBP
WellsCity63,200 GBP68,200 GBP31,300-103,600 GBP
WakefieldCity62,600 GBP68,100 GBP30,800-100,700 GBP
St DavidsCity62,500 GBP65,800 GBP29,000-95,600 GBP
InvernessCity61,800 GBP68,900 GBP29,900-100,300 GBP
TruroCity61,700 GBP68,900 GBP29,900-100,400 GBP
StromnessCity60,800 GBP65,900 GBP27,200-99,600 GBP
RiponCity60,100 GBP64,800 GBP26,500-95,200 GBP
BangorCity60,000 GBP63,500 GBP27,400-95,500 GBP
StrontianCity58,700 GBP64,600 GBP25,800-95,500 GBP

Chemical Engineer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a chemical engineer make per month in United Kingdom?

    A chemical engineer in United Kingdom earns about 5,741 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 68,900 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a chemical engineer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level chemical engineers in United Kingdom start near 30,600 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 109,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 45,600 and 100,200 GBP.

  • Is the median chemical engineer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 73,500 GBP, higher than the average of 68,900 GBP. Half of chemical engineers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for chemical engineers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a chemical engineer in United Kingdom earn around 3% more than women on average (68,300 vs 66,400 GBP a year).

  • Do chemical engineers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 61% of chemical engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.

  • Do chemical engineers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a chemical engineer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do chemical engineers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A chemical engineer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 10% a year.